After smashing success in 2014, the collaboration between BalletMet, the Columbus Symphony, and Opera Columbus returns to CAPA’s Ohio Theatre, September 22-25. Twisted 2 is a can’t-be-missed event “twisting” masterful choreography, lively classical works, and acclaimed operatic pieces together, making it an experience unlike any other!

Fully embraced by the public in 2014, Twisted brought in capacity crowds that erupted in wild applause night after night. Twisted 2 promises a repeat of all of that, but even bigger and better! Performances will begin with a pounding adventure to Valhalla with “The Ride of the Valkyries” and the intense romance of “La vie en rose” featuring the powerful vocals of soprano Jennifer Cherest. The deep, haunting sounds of the cello accompany soprano Chelsea Hart in “Vocalise,” leading into a wild and energetic chase of “Dance of the Comedians.” Crowd-pleasing Carmen is represented with its Overture and “Chorus of the Street-boys,” all culminating with Beethoven’s glorious “Ode to Joy.” BalletMet dancers tie each piece together, weaving in and out of song and music with works by internationally acclaimed choreographers Val Caniparoli, Matthew Neenan, and Alex Ketley. All-in-all, 16 works will be performed like you’ve never seen them before!

Engage all your senses at once by tasting Columbus’ three flagship performing arts organizations united together on stage. Dazzle your eyes with the world-class dancers and choreography. Hear the universal language of music through the magnificent sounds of the symphony and richness of the opera. As you leave the theatre, the sweet smell of success will waft through the air as you realize how much the beauty of the arts have touched your soul.

Learn how and why the year-long project was such a priority for the theatre, how it developed from just a basic concept to actual installation, and how the stunning, finished product delivers superior acoustics to both audience and musicians.

Your next chance to see and hear the Ohio Theatre’s new orchestra shell in action will be the Columbus Symphony concerts on January 9 and 10, featuring the first program in its American Roots Festival—Dvořák’s Ninth!

With the new orchestra shell about to have its big debut at the Ohio Theatre, we thought there were a few things you should know before you “ooo” and “ahh” in person!

1) It took one full year to complete. These things take time! There was a year’s worth of preparation for the new shell, including architect and acoustician meetings and deconstruction of the old shell, followed by one full month of installation. Rome wasn’t built in a day!

2) It fits right in. The new shell is custom designed for the Ohio Theatre. The architects made sure to incorporate the theatre’s Baroque style into the shell’s design, even continuing the gold stars adorning the ceiling of the Ohio Theatre onto the ceiling of the new orchestra shell. Peter Krajnak, Design Principal with Rogers Krajnak Architects, said, “Our team created a decorative design that is in harmony with the theatre’s Baroque-esque style interior and extends that visual grandeur onto the stage.”

3) It’s basically a transformer. That’s right! The new shell can transform into a variety of configurations to best fit the size of the ensemble performing. It also has a variety of lighting possibilities through a new LED lighting system, making every performance unique.

4) We love it! We here at CAPA absolutely love the new shell! CAPA CEO Bill Conner said, “The end result far exceeds our expectations in functionality, beauty, and acoustics.” While we marvel at its beauty, we are blown away by its new and improved acoustics. CSO Music Director Designee Rossen Milanov said, “The Ohio Theatre now becomes a venue where the music can create a sonic impact!”

5) You can see it soon! The shell will make its public debut Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22, at the Columbus Symphony’s Beethoven & Don Quixote concert. Come see the beautiful new orchestra shell and see (and hear!) what all the fuss is about!

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and CAPA will soon share more than the Ohio Theatre. Just announced today, both organizations will enter into a five-year management agreement beginning April 5. What this means is that CAPA will begin providing many back office services to the CSO, including accounting, ticketing, and marketing, among others.

CAPA President and CEO Bill Conner will serve as the volunteer Managing Director and CEO of the Symphony, and current CSO President Roland Valliere will continue in that role, also taking on the responsibilities of Chief Creative Officer.

While there is much work ahead, this is a win-win relationship for everyone. At CAPA, we can continue to fulfill our mission to serve the arts community in Columbus. For the CSO, the cost savings will help enable them to continue to present live, classical music performances in Columbus. And the central Ohio community will be able to continue enjoying the CSO performances they’ve come to know and love whether it be pops, classical, holiday pops, Picnic with the Pops, or all of the above.

CAPA is proud to partner with the CSO, and we look forward to a bright future for classical music in Columbus!

Here’s what people are saying:

“The Symphony is one of the great cultural and arts resources in our community. The new agreement with CAPA can provide significant stability to their organization and enable them to continue serving Columbus.”
-Doug Kridler, President and CEO, The Columbus Foundation

“Collaboration is vital across all aspects of our community, and we applaud this new business model. This agreement between CAPA and the CSO is a unique, homegrown model which will leverage the strengths of these two existing community organizations while saving money and holding down costs. A healthy and sustainable orchestra is important to our city’s economic development and this plan should move us toward that common goal.”
– Alex Fischer, CEO, Columbus Partnership

“This new partnership in Columbus between a performing arts organization, the symphony, and musicians is truly unique. Coupled with a new vision of sharing music through the internet and cell phone applications, as well as traditional live concerts, this model could be a new blueprint for orchestral music in our country.”
Jesse Rosen, President and CEO, The League of American Orchestras

“This truly remarkable partnership marks a unique approach to leverage artistic and managerial resources between two significant contributors to arts and culture in Columbus. The resulting new platform is designed to create new synergies for success at the local level and marks yet another business model that orchestras and other arts providers across the nation might consider.”
-Wayne S. Brown, Director of Music and Opera, National Endowment for the Arts

“CAPA has been a great corporate citizen to Columbus. We applaud their support of the CSO and this city.”
-Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman

CAPA has received arts employment support from the Ohio Arts Council made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts through funds allocated from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.